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The speed of technological progress is moving at a faster and faster pace. The whole idea of technology, from the most primitive tool to the latest silicon chip, is the story of us making things that enable us to do more than we could do without them. Research indicates modern computers are one trillion times as powerful as the most powerful computers in the world around in the year 1960. Our ability to make these super-intelligent machines even smarter increases as they become smaller and cheaper to produce. As they get smarter, they also become just a little more like us. Whilst we are a long way off seeing them do everything that humans can, they can already do some of what we do better than us.

So what are we to make of all this? It’s all the more challenging as changes keep progressing and we keep getting used to them. What about using Robots to take care of our old people? And to act as nannies to our children? What about Robots making decisions that have huge results – like driving cars and lorries that could get into accidents? What about Robots designed for sex? Or, more subtly, Robots designed to be friends and companions and take the place of human friends and companions for people who prefer their relationships easy and under their control?